How to Communicate Using Different Walkie Talkies

Many people think that two different brands of walkie-talkie will not work together. This is incorrect, with the right set of skills and equipment, you can get them to work well together. Are you wondering how? In this article, we will show you exactly how you can get two walkie talkies of different brands to work together. Continue reading!

Things You Will Need

The process of getting two walkie-talkies to communicate can be time-consuming. So, it is advised to be patient. For this, you will need walkie-talkies of varying brands and a friend.

Method

Here are the steps you should follow.

Step 1

The first thing you need to do is set the same channel on the walkie-talkies. In case, you can’t communicate, then move to the second step.

Step 2

You should check whether or not the Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CCTCSS) is blocked. When the CCTCSS is enabled, it will send a tone when you speak along with your voice. Though this cannot be heard by humans, the other walkie talkie can detect it.

In case the tone detected is not the one to the other walkie talkie was programmed to accept, then it will not convey the message. It is the reason why messages are not communicated when using ham radios of different brands.

In order to correct this, you need to turn off the CCTCSS feature on your ham radios.

Step 3

The other type of signaling used by walkie-talkies is Digital Coded Squelch (DCS). Although this is similar to CCTCSS, there is a slight difference between them. In DCS, instead of sending a tone, the walkie-talkie sends a digital code.

In case your radios will not communicate after this, it means they have DCS that is not compatible. So, in such a situation, it is advised to disable the DCS function. This might enable the walkie-talkies to communicate with each other.

Step 4

There are some radios that works with GMRS or FRS frequency. If this is the case, then the channel number of your ham radios will be different. You might consider them to be on the same channel, but they might be on different channels.

In such situations, you must pay attention to the channels and look for their corresponding channel number.

Learning Codes To Communicate Better

Before you can talk to your friend, you need to learn some basic codes and their meanings. Here is a list of a few codes.

10-1: I need to use the bathroom (number 1)

10-2: I have to go to the bathroom (number 2)

Eyes on: when you spot something

20: what is your location?

Flying in: when something is en route

Keying: this means someone is holding down the talk button accidentally

Kill: it means something needs to be turned off

Lock it up: don’t let anyone pass

Copy: I heard and understood the message

Now, you can easily communicate with your friend over the ham radios and enjoy playing.